National Flag of Timor-Leste

The email below came from Ivan Da Costa Pinheiro. (The Portuguese 'nh' is the equivalent of the Spanish ‘ñ’ and is pronounced the same way. Timor-Leste was a colony of Portugal before). Timor-Leste is now the most Catholic country in Asia, with 93.20% of its population of 767,000 being members of the Church. 81.30% of the more than 90 million people of the Philippines are Catholics. In terms of numbers the Philippines has the most Catholics of any country in Asia and the third highest in the world, behind Brazil and Mexico.

Ksolok loron natal nian no Boas entradas!

('Merry Christmas!' in Tetum, one of Timor-Leste's two official languages. The other is Portuguese)

Near Dili, the capital

Hi! I'm from Timor-Leste or East Timor. I'm studying in Manila now. I knew this magazine through an Irish priest (Columban Fr John Keenan), a chaplain in our school, CEU (Centro Escolar University). He introduced me to the magazine after a Mass in the chapel. At first, I felt reluctant to accept it because I had not gone through the other book that I borrowed from the chapel. however, reading it, I found it inspiring and felt the same way as with the other book. Inspiring, giving hope of life that answers our doubts, strengthens our faith and reminds us not to plunge into the pleasure of the earthly life.

Let's hope and pray that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and not trust to our own mind and that we depend on Him in this life and that people always love and serve one another and that people also take agood care of our home, the earth. God bless all of us.

Government Palace in Dili, the capital

Numerals in Tetum

Some are very similar to or the same as those in Filipino languages.

• ida - 'one'
• rua - 'two'
• tolu - 'three'
• haat - 'four'
• lima - 'five'
• neen - 'six'
• hitu - 'seven'
• ualu - 'eight'
• sia - 'nine'
• sanulu - 'ten'

Near Dili